Gathering Dusk
by alphadork
Summary: At the end of Breaking Dawn, Siobhan declared that when the Volturi tried to take out the vegetarian covens they would gather again to fight together. Will they all be able to survive round two against the Volturi? Post BD.
1. Chapter 1

**Hola chickadees and chickadudes. Hope you likey. I will be posting chapters once a week only on this story. I ended up posting thrice weekly on my last story and that nearly killed me. Almost nearly killed my social life too.  
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**I don't own Twilight. I do however own a fantastic pair of green ballet flats with white polka dots that I bought at the grocery store for $14.**

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**"Hello Charlie," I said softly, placing a smooth rock on top of his headstone. A friend of mine from Phoenix when I was human had been Jewish, and she had taught me the tradition of leaving a stone when visiting someone's grave. I couldn't remember her name or why she had told me of the tradition, but the beauty of leaving a reminder that the dead were never forgotten had stuck with me. I had certainly not forgotten my father.

Charlie had died peacefully in his sleep after a day of fishing almost thirty years ago. Edward, Renesmee and I had stayed near Forks with Charlie until the end, only moving after he died. I had initially felt guilty for separating Edward from his family, but he had reassured me that we would have an eternity to spend with the Cullens. Time with Charlie was both finite and precious.

In some ways, having Charlie around after my Change made life more difficult. I only dimly remembered our human interactions anymore; if we hadn't been able to include him in our lives after my Change his death would have been more of an abstract grief. But I would never trade the time spent with Charlie for anything. He loved and accepted me unconditionally, despite the fact that I never aged. He was a wonderful grandfather to Renesmee. I was glad she'd had a chance to get to know him.

I smiled sadly when I thought back to a conversation Charlie and I'd had ten years after I had become a vampire.

"So I've noticed you don't seem to be getting any older Bells," he had said one day at the lake. It had become a tradition of ours to take a father/daughter fishing trip once a month. We could only go on overcast days, but Charlie had never questioned why. He had also never questioned why the fish never seemed to bite when I was near. He still wasn't much of a talker, but we did end up getting to know one another better.

"It's one of those things you're better off not knowing Dad," I had replied evenly.

"I figured as much," Charlie had stated. "Just wanted you to know that no matter what happens you'll always be my little girl."

I shook myself back to the present to continue my conversation with Charlie's headstone.

"This rock is from a beach in Scotland. The whole family spent the summer there this year. You would have loved the fishing.

"Emmett kept teasing Nessie about being named after the Loch Ness monster. Renesmee insisted there was no such thing. They got into a huge fight over it. Emmett decided he was going to prove to Ness that there was a monster down there. He and Jasper spent hours under the water hunting, but they didn't find anything. Emmett kept on insisting it was because fish tend to keep away from vampires. Rose threatened to kick him out of the bedroom if he didn't give it up.

"We're starting at a new high school this year. We're going to live in a place called Shadow Lake in British Columbia. It's not too far from Prince George and it rains and snows a lot. Emmett is looking forward to snowmobiling and thinning the grizzly population. There's lots of forest up there, Dad. It's so pretty.

"I miss having you around. You always accepted me without question and made me feel like I belonged. You took me in and gave me a home when things were awkward with Mom. I know raising a teenage girl is not a fun task, and I wish I could have brought less danger and drama to your life. But I'm glad I got to share those years with you.

"Nessie will probably be by to see you later today. She and Jacob are visiting with the new Quileute chief to make sure he's aware of the conditions of our treaty. Sam's grandson Peter took over this past spring."

The treaty between the Cullens and the Quileute tribe had changed several times over the last few decades. Jacob had appointed Sam as the honourary chief of the tribe upon Billy's death. Without any further vampire threats, the rest of the pack had eventually stopped phasing to grow old with their imprinted mates. Even Leah had found her soul mate and imprinted. Jacob was planning to remain a wolf for as long as Renesmee was alive. He declared that his place was at her side, no matter where she went. They had gotten married shortly after Renesmee graduated from college for the first time. It was still a little surreal to think of my best childhood buddy as my son-in-law, but I couldn't find any fault with the loving way he cherished my daughter.

Sam had agreed to allow the Cullen family back onto Quileute lands as long as we promised to help them against any vampire threats that might arise in the future. I had been especially happy to be allowed on tribe lands once my father and Sue had gotten married. The new terms of our treaty allowed me to spend time with my father once he moved into Sue's house, and allowed me to visit his grave. He was buried in the Quileute cemetery, in a plot next to Sue and her first husband.

"I should probably get going. Love you daddy," I whispered pulling myself up to my feet.

I placed a light kiss on his headstone before turning away. If I could have cried, I would have been in tears. Tears of happiness for all the wonderful memories I had of my father as well as tears of sorrow for his loss.

I was as silent as my unbeating heart as I ran through the forest. The wind shifted and I caught a familiar and welcome scent on the breeze. It was the scent that called to me; drew me in like an addict. Since becoming a vampire had sharpened my senses I'd found myself bound to the scent of Edward much as he was bound to mine. I had once told Edward that if our situation had been reversed, if he'd been the human and I'd been the vampire, he would have been my singer.

I pulled to a stop at the vision in front of me: Edward was sprawled on his back in our meadow, glittering in the sunlight that dappled his face. He was humming my lullaby. He knew it would comfort me after my visit to Charlie's grave. He held his arms out to me and I gladly sank into their strength.

We lay entwined for a long time in the warm August sunshine. Edward hummed quietly to comfort me until I opened my mind to show him that I was okay. The lengthening afternoon shadows were creeping towards us before I spoke.

"Remember our first time in this meadow? I've always meant to ask you if you were really singing to yourself that day. You had been so intent on asking me questions and picking my brain, but then when we were finally alone you didn't ask me anything," I questioned, pulling myself up to look at my husband.

"Guilty as charged," Edward said with a rueful laugh. "I still hadn't fully resolved to keep you alive when I brought you out here that day. Alice's visions kept flickering between your future as a human and your future as a vampire. But when I saw how calm and accepting you were of what I looked like in the sunlight I knew I wanted to keep you alive. I was telling myself over and over that I loved you. It was my mantra against the temptation of your blood."

I wasn't surprised by Edward's answer.

"Is that why you were so angry when I didn't tell anyone I was going out with you that day?" I asked.

"Guilty again. You have no idea how much I was counting on someone missing you to help me stay in control. When you told me that no one knew you were going to be with me it was like you had given me permission to kill you. But I still couldn't bring myself to stay away from you."

"I'm glad you didn't," I said quietly.

"Me too," Edward replied. "We would have missed out on so much together."

I was glad to hear Edward was finally letting go of his old guilt. I knew Edward had felt guilty and selfish for turning me into a vampire. It hadn't mattered to him that it was to save my life; so sure was he that it was his fault I was in danger in the first place. It didn't seem to matter how many times I had pointed out how happy we were. Edward just couldn't seem to let it go at first. It had taken a lot of reassurances and arguments on my part to get him to see reason. It seemed that immortality truly granted enough time to heal all wounds.

I traced my fingertips over Edward's grinning lips, still shimmering in the diffuse sunlight. My unnecessary breath stuttered in response to the slow fire building in his eyes at my gentle touch. The familiarity that we had fostered over our many years together had done nothing to diminish the excitement I felt whenever Edward touched me.

Edward's lips grazed lightly over mine. He traced a path to my ear with gentle kisses. My eyes fluttered closed and I shivered in anticipation when he whispered an, "I love you," into my ear. His hand left my waist and was approaching my chest when Edward stiffened and sat up with a groan.

"Our daughter is screaming at us to put our clothes on," Edward sighed with a resigned grin.

"Spoilsport!" I yelled. I could now hear my daughter's light footsteps rapidly approaching the meadow. Jacob's booming chuckle echoed through the trees as he followed behind her.

Renesmee burst into the clearing with Jacob close on her heels.

"I win," she crowed over her shoulder at Jacob as she settled onto the grass next to Edward.

"Fine, you win this time," Jacob conceded. "But next time I'm phasing before we race."

"I'll still win," Nessie bragged. Jacob just smiled and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms.

"How did the meeting go?" I asked, curious as to what had taken them so long today.

"It was interesting to say the least," Jacob replied. Edward drew in a sharp breath in response to Jacob's thoughts. "It seems I'm not the only Quileute wolf anymore. Peter's son phased for the first time yesterday. So far he's the only one, but Peter's going to keep an eye out."

I turned to Edward to see what he thought. Renesmee was holding his hand and staring at him intently. He nodded in response to whatever she had told him. I focused on loosening my shield just enough to let Edward know he was annoying me.

"I'm sorry," Edward said. "Nessie was telling me she and Jacob are going to stay here for a while. They may have start the school year here on the Res. Jacob wants to keep an eye on the werewolf situation."

I sighed in disappointment. I was looking forward to starting school with my entire family again. We had all just finished university again this year. Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie had studied abroad in New Zealand while Edward and Renesmee had attended Julliard together. Renesmee was just as gifted musically as her father, and they looked enough alike to pass as twins. I had stayed with them in New York, attaining a degree in abnormal psychology from NYU.

"Sorry Mom, but Jake wants to help ease Logan into life as a werewolf," Nessie said quietly.

"I understand," I replied. "But I was really looking forward to having you with us. Has there been any vampire activity in the area recently?"

"Not that the Chief could tell," Jacob said. "Logan was too overwhelmed by his new power to take much of anything in while he was phased. We should probably do a sweep of the area, just to be sure."

Edward was on his feet offering me a hand up before I could finish nodding in agreement to Jacob's suggestion.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Twilight. I totes made up Shadow Lake.  
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**Song that was going through my head when writing this chapter: 'Kiss With a Fist' by Florence and the Machines. Has absolutely nothing to do with the chapter itself, but is an awesome song anyway.**

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**Shadow Lake was a small community nestled in between the mountains of British Columbia and the Pacific Ocean. The population was slightly less than four thousand with one small shopping mall, three elementary schools, one high school, one hospital and of course, a Walmart. There was plenty of wildlife to satisfy our need to hunt, and plenty of cloud cover to keep up our human facade. We were close enough to Vancouver to spend weekends there if we needed to do any serious shopping.

At human driving speeds it would take nearly seven hours to reach Seattle by car and ferry. At vampire driving speeds the trip was less than four hours. Edward and I would probably make that trip just about every weekend to visit our daughter.

Jacob and Renesmee had stayed back in Forks to keep an eye on things. We had spent three days searching Forks and the surrounding area for traces of other vampires. Jake and Nessie were all set to come to Canada with us until two more Quileute boys had phased for their first time the night before we left. I wasn't happy about having to leave them behind, but I understood why they couldn't leave. Jacob was the pack Alpha; it was his responsibility to teach the younger werewolves the skills they would need to acclimate themselves to their new lives. Ness would never leave his side.

"It's kinda freaky Bells," Jacob had said to me before we left. "I've gotten used to being the only one in my head when I phase. Now I've got three pups crowding my thoughts. They're all so young too! I have to keep reminding myself that I wasn't much older than they are when I first phased. It's almost like having children."

"Does that make your pack my grandpuppies?" I had joked.

"Laugh it up, bloodsucker," Jacob had replied, rolling his eyes. His comment was made with too much affection to be mistaken as an insult.

I was pulled from my musings by a glorious sight. My husband stepped out of our shared bathroom with nothing to cover his nudity but the droplets of water that ran from his still damp hair. I traced the path of one of those droplets with my eyes as it ran down his chest and over his abdomen. After so many years together there was no shyness or modesty left between us. Edward noticed my intense perusal and chuckled.

"Like what you see, love?" he asked.

I cocked my head to the side and pretended to be deep in thought.

"I dunno. Maybe you should come closer for a more detailed inspection," I suggested with a smile.

I giggled as Edward pounced onto the bed next to me. His hands twisted into my hair a fraction of a second before his lips danced over mine. My giggles quickly turned into small moans as I moulded my body to his. A sharp bang on the door interrupted our passionate moment.

"If you two keep that up we're going to be late for school," Alice said from the other side of our bedroom door. "You know how much Rose likes to make a big entrance on our first day. You don't want to know what she would do to your precious Volvo if you make us late."

"Fine," Edward groaned, pulling himself away from me reluctantly. I pouted a little as I watched him pull his clothes on.

I was still pouting a little when the family gathered in the garage.

"Lighten up Bella," Emmett teased. "You'll have plenty of time for 'tender lovemaking' when school's over."

I glared pointedly at Emmett. Edward just shook his head and opened the door of his shiny new Volvo for me.

"Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away," Edward suggested, sliding into the driver's seat.

"I somehow doubt that," I replied.

"I'm with Bella on this one," Alice chimed in from the backseat where she was snuggled up against Jasper.

The drive to school was spent in silence, each of us anticipating the year ahead. Edward, Alice, Jasper and I were going to be Sophomores again. Emmett and Rosalie were starting their Junior year for the umpteenth time.

The students of Shadow Lake High eyed us with keen interest as we made our entrance to register in the main office. I noted with a hint of irony that our new school's mascot was a wolf.

Edward tightened his grip on me as a group of guys in baggy jeans strolled past. I quirked a brow in Edward's direction and he just shook his head.

"Their thoughts were not very gentlemanly," Edward whispered into my ear.

"The only un-gentlemanly thoughts I'm interested in are yours," I whispered back. I could hear Emmett coughing back a laugh at our expense and I glared at the back of his head. I resolutely decided to talk to Alice about ways to stop Emmett's teasing and she turned to me with a smile and a wink. I was glad she was on my side.

The day passed rather uneventfully. Edward and I had three out of five classes together. Alice and Jasper were in my other two classes. English, Biology, Math, History and French were my classes for the semester.

Esme was waiting for us in the living room when we arrived home from school. We told her all about our first day back to school before drifting off to our separate rooms.

I was sitting at the desk in our room when I noticed Edward staring at me with an intense yearning.

"I have to finish my homework," I admonished him regretfully. I really wanted to continue the interrupted intimate moment from this morning, but I didn't want to start the new school year off on the wrong foot with my teacher.

"What kind of teacher gives an assignment on the first day of school?" Edward asked.

"My French teacher," I replied with a glare. I hadn't wanted to take the stupid class, but Edward had suggested it would be helpful for me to learn French...and he'd also promised me a trip Paris next summer if I took the class. Just the two of us in one of the most romantic cities in the world. So I had begrudgingly agreed to the class as long as Edward agreed to tutor me. I had spent the summer committing, 'French For Dummies,' to memory.

"It's one of those stupid essays about what you did with your summer vacation. So not only do I have to write an essay in French, I have to make up a story about what we did all summer. I can't very well tell the teacher we visited Scotland with our daughter and her husband."

Edward chuckled from his spot on the bed and beckoned me to join him. I shook my head resolutely and gestured to my homework. I found myself flying through the air before my pencil could make contact with the paper. Edward landed on the bed seconds after I did.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded with mock outrage. I not-so-secretly loved watching Edward take control in the bedroom.

"I am going to give you a French lesson," Edward declared with a smirk.

"Really?" I questioned, giving Edward a suspicious look.

Edward just laughed again and moved his hands to the hem of my shirt. My breath caught in my throat when he began to trace patterns on my stomach under the fabric of my shirt.

"Je dois enlever vos vêtements pour la leçon. I need to remove your clothes for the lesson," he said as he inched my shirt higher and higher over my abdomen.

Edward winked before he leaned in to kiss me. He named each article of my clothing in French as he removed it slowly. Then he made me remove his clothing while repeating back the French word for each piece.

My body was on fire for Edward and he had barely touched me. The hunger I felt for him was delicious and consuming.

"Je vais passer en revue des parties du corps humain avec vous. I am going to review parts of the human body with you," Edward said seriously.

"Les lèvres ," he said before kissing me tenderly. He nuzzled his nose against mine before pulling away slightly. The scent and feel of him was sending hot pulses racing towards the centre of my aching need.

"Les yeux," he said before dropping a delicate kiss onto each of my eyelids. He repeated the same action with my nose, hair, cheeks and ears. I shivered with anticipation when he said, "Le cou," before leaning in to kiss and nibble on my neck.

"Les clavicules," he said into my neck before brushing his fingers lightly over my collarbones.

I couldn't stop the moan that dropped from my lips. Edward chuckled before kissing my mouth once again. "La langue," he said against my lips before gently stroking his tongue across mine.

I could feel his arousal resting against my thigh. My hands wandered down his back towards his ass before he grabbed them and sat up.

"Les doigts," he said before kissing the tips of each of my fingers.

"Les doigts," I repeated before licking his index finger. I could see the fire building in Edward's eyes as I took his finger into my mouth and sucked on it, swirling my tongue around his digit. I hummed in pleasure at the sweet taste of his skin on my tongue. Edward groaned my name and removed his finger from my mouth.

"Les seins," Edward said as he leaned forward to cup my breasts in his large hands. I sighed in contentment as he squeezed them lightly.

"What are these called?" I asked, lightly scratching my fingernails over his nipples. Edward growled before replying.

"Les mamelons," he answered, teasing mine with his fingertips now. Edward traced light circles over my nipples before lightly pinching them.

"I want your tongue on my nipples," I moaned.

"En francais, s'il te plaît," Edward said.

"Je veux ta langue sur mes mamelons," I managed to gasp out, grateful for the, "French For Dummies," books on tape.

I nearly cried out in relief as Edward laved one of my nipples with his tongue before blowing cool air across the hardened peak. My hips thrust involuntarily when Edward's mouth descended on my other breast to tease it with his tongue and teeth.

"Please," I begged.

"Le clitoris," Edward said as he trailed a finger lazily around my clit.

"Please," I begged again, needing more.

"Le vagin," Edward said as he dipped first one, and then two fingers into my pussy. His hands were building my pleasure to torturous levels. I couldn't take much more teasing.

"I need you inside me," I cried out. "Please!"

Edward positioned himself between my legs and teased my slit with his cock.

"Please. S'il te plaît," I moaned.

Edward guided my hand down to his shaft before saying, "Je t'aime."

"Je t'aime," I repeated, guiding him to my entrance. We both cried out in relief as he sank into my depths.

"I love you," Edward said, pulling out to thrust back into me slowly. "Tu es si belle, ma Bella. Être ici avec toi, tu aimant, m'incite à me sentir comme je suis l'homme le plus chanceux vivant. Tu es ma vie, mon âme." He spoke slowly, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips.

Edward gradually built up the speed of his thrusts. Soon he was plunging into me with such speed and ferocity I knew I never would have been able to handle the full force of his passion while I had still been human. Our hips recreated the rhythm that had once beat through our hearts.

"I love you," I cried out as my orgasm ripped through me. The violence of my pleasure left me trembling in its wake.

"Bella," Edward moaned into my neck as he pulsed his release into my welcoming body.

I sighed with contentment as my body began to relax. Edward gently pulled out of my body and curled himself around me.

"Edward?" I asked.

"Yes love?"

"What did you say just then?" I asked, curious. My brain had been unable to process his words, so focused had I been on the gratification Edward was providing me.

"I said, 'You are so beautiful, my Bella. Being here with you, loving you, makes me feel like I'm the luckiest man alive. You are my life, my soul,'" Edward replied affectionately.

Edward and I finished my essay with five minutes left to spare before we had to leave for school the next day.

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**Whew. How about that Frenchward?**

**I haven't spoken French in a very long time, so I hope my translations are correct. If anyone finds something wrong, please let me know. I'll admit to cheating a little with the translations by using Babelfish to double check them for me. Also, I get that the terms Edward used for the more intimate parts of the body are very clinical. However, the only slang words I know for those body parts were taught to me by teenage boys, and thus I suspect they are somewhat derogatory. Edward is too much of a gentleman to use those terms with Bella.**

**I promise more plot building in the next chapter.  
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**Leave me some love?  
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	3. Chapter 3

Time moved differently for me now. As a vampire, I was no longer tied to a mortal lifespan. My days were not numbered; they stretched in front of me as far as the eye could see. My body would not wither with each passing day, in minute increments until death; no ticking clock in my chest to count down the beats until the end. Even now, decades later, with my expanded vampire faculties I still had a hard time grasping the infinity of my existence. I was still experiencing the first day of the rest of my life.

**Sorry for the delay in updating. Work has been crazy and I've had some personal shit go down that sucked up a lot of time. Things are mostly back to normal now, so I'll be back to updating with more regularity.**

**Don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but I totes made up Shadow Lake.**

**I don't own anything else.**

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**As a human, it was hard for me to comprehend how Edward had spent his nights watching me sleep, no television or book to keep him entertained. As a vampire I could now appreciate how quickly one night can pass to our kind; almost like blinking your eyes.

I could now fully comprehend how desperate Edward must have felt when he had first realized his love for me. It must have been agonizing to realize how quickly our time would have passed had I remained a human as he had determined.

It was this disparity in the perception of time between human and vampire that had allowed Edward to believe that I would be fine without him. Surely, Edward had thought before leaving me that dreadful day in the forest, a lifetime was so short a time for me to feel the pain. He had no idea how long that lifetime had seemed to me at the time.

This is how I came to find myself staring at the calendar, realizing it was almost time for Thanksgiving. In Canada the harvest is earlier, therefore Thanksgiving falls in early October. I knew the other students were beginning to prepare for their midterm exams, but it felt to me as though school had just begun.

It was an overcast Friday afternoon, making it perfect for Edward and I to visit Nessie and Jake back in Forks. I smiled over at Edward sitting in the passenger seat of my BMW. He was smiling, but there was tension in his eyes. Even now he was still slightly nervous when I drove. I rolled my eyes at him.

"For goodness sake, Edward. If I wrap this car around a tree we'll both be able to walk away. Just relax!"

Edward didn't respond; he merely lifted my hand from the gearshift and dropped a gentle kiss onto each of my knuckles. I shivered when he lightly sucked at the web of flesh between my thumb and index finger.

"Are you trying to get me to wrap the car around a tree?" I asked, only half joking.

"I'm sorry, love. I'll try to behave," he said with mock contrition.

"Save it for the ferry ride," I replied drily.

Edward took my last comment to heart and we spent our time pleasurably on the ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria. Our first coupling was frenzied and frantic, the second and third were taken at a more leisurely pace. The ferry ride from Victoria to Port Angeles was spent on deck watching the sun as it began to sink over the horizon.

I found us a secluded parking spot near the Bella Italia once we made it off the ferry. I waited for Edward to open my door for me, and smiled up at him as he offered me a hand out of the car. I am convinced that no amount of time will rid Edward of his old-fashioned, gentlemanly ways. He tucked my hand into the crook of his arm before leading me down the streets of the seaside town we had built some of our history in. We chatted as we strolled; still as interested in conversing together as we were the first time we had been in Port Angeles together.

I could feel the excitement building in Edward as we reached the outskirts of town. His muscles were rippling under my hand and his steps began to quicken in anticipation of the run ahead of us.

"Close your eyes," I commanded, stopping suddenly. Edward eyed me suspiciously, so I pulled out the big guns. I tilted my head, exposing my neck to him. I gazed up from under my lowered eyelashes and sweetly asked, "Please?"

He shook his head and sighed, complying with my request. He could never resist me when I asked nicely. Renesmee had figured his weakness out early on in life, resulting in some serious spoiling from her father.

I kissed Edward quickly and then surprised him by throwing him over my shoulder and taking off at a sprint into the night. His breath whooshed out in a startled gasp at my actions. I just laughed and ran faster. I loved being the only one who could surprise Edward.

"What are you doing?" Edward questioned from his perch.

"I'm sweeping you off your feet," I giggled, feeling silly and free.

"This is emasculating," he grumbled without pique. I replied with a hearty whack to his delicious backside before setting him back onto his feet.

"What can I say? I'm a female chauvinist pig," I joked, nudging his arm with my shoulder.

"The first step is admitting that you have a problem," Jake's voice rang out through the night.

"Bella is perfect," Edward interjected, opening his arms to accept our daughter's fierce embrace. He nuzzled a kiss into her hair before releasing her.

"Hi Mom," Nessie said, giving me a hug next.

"I missed you, baby girl," I responded, kissing her cheek.

Jake picked us both up and spun us around in circles, nearly losing his footing on the uneven ground. Edward growled when Jake lost his footing and banged my elbow into a tree, sending down a shower of golden leaves.

"Sorry, Dad," Jake said, pretending to hang his head in remorse. I slapped his arm and told him to be quiet.

Renesmee grabbed Jake and I by the wrists to ask if we were feeling hungry. I smiled back at her gratefully. Edward and Jake always got along better after they had eaten. Typical males.

Hunting together as a family might seem rather unorthodox to an outsider. But really, when you think about it, how different were our hunting trips from the fishing trips Charlie and I used to take? The concept was the same; the difference was in the execution. Literally.

I loved how lithe and strong Edward was when he hunted. The combination of blood and adrenaline touched something primal in me, making it very hard sometimes to focus on anything other than satisfying my need for Edward. I had to concentrate on the blood flowing over my tongue to keep myself in control. I doubted Nessie would appreciate a re-enactment of her conception.

Jake suddenly let out a howl and Edward dropped the large buck he'd been feeding on.

"We need to get back to La Push," Edward said, already reaching out for my hand. "One of the wolves smelled a vampire out on patrol. The trail is still relatively fresh, but they haven't found the vampire yet."

We returned to La Push only half-sated and edgy. We nodded respectfully to the young werewolves we met along the way. There were now 14 werewolves in the tribe. No girls had Phased yet; perhaps Leah had been an anomaly. I found myself missing the cranky she-wolf. Edward seemed to sense my wistfulness and squeezed my hand a little tighter. Perhaps he was missing Seth at that moment.

We approached the Chief's home quickly. Peter and his son Logan greeted us warmly, even if they did keep their distance from Edward and me.

"Kian and Josh were patrolling the southern boundary when they caught the scent. It runs right along the old boundary line before disappearing into the ocean. We were wondering if you could check the scent to see if it's familiar to you," Peter asked, clearly concerned for his tribe.

"Jacob and I will go," Edward said. I was slightly annoyed at his overprotective instinct, but understanding. I felt the same protectiveness for our daughter.

"Okay," I said. "Renesmee and I will take a quick run along the northern border to make sure no one's been up there."

Edward paused a moment before declaring, "Fine, Nessie and Jacob will take the northern border. Bella and I will check to the south."

Edward and I took off at a run to meet up with Kian and Josh. Edward stopped dead in his tracks when he caught the scent of the vampire who had been near the Reservation. The scent was familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Demetri," Edward whispered tersely. The Volturi tracker was checking out the Quileute lands shortly after the young men of the tribe had started to Phase. This couldn't be a coincidence.

We spent hours tracing Demetri's path through the area. His trail started in Seattle, where it was the weakest. He had run through the mountains and forests. We came across the bodies of a group of hiker's along his path. The minute amounts of blood left at the scene were dried and unappealing to me. His scent indicated that he had run straight from Seattle to La Push, ignoring Forks altogether. I was grateful that I wouldn't have to sneak through town, risking being recognized by an elderly classmate from my human days.

Jake and Renesmee met us back at Peter's home.

"We didn't find any traces of vampire to the north," Jake said. "Just your trail from earlier this evening."

"Demetri seems to have flown into Seattle before making a path around La Push to the ocean," I explained.

"What was he looking for?" Renesmee wondered.

"I don't know," Edward replied, "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

We spent the rest of our long-weekend tracking through the area with the wolves. I hated to leave Renesmee behind, but I trusted Jake to take care of her with his life. I held her close for a long time before whispering my goodbye.

Edward and I spent most of our trip home discussing the many possibilities Demetri's visit had unlocked. We were unable to lock in a single theory that could explain his presence in the Olympic Peninsula. If he was looking for us, he would have been in Canada. We had called Carlisle to put the rest of the family on alert, but so far they hadn't found any traces of other vampires in the area.

We were mentally exhausted by the time we pulled into the long driveway of our Canadian home. We could hear Emmett pleading playfully with Rosalie as we entered the house.

"C'mon, Babe, let's give it a try! Can you imagine how cute a vampire Chihuahua would be?"

"You can't be serious," Rose replied scathingly.

"Why not? It would be able to hunt with us, and we wouldn't have to clean up after it. A vampire dog wouldn't need a pooper scooper," Emmett enthused. Edward just shook his head with a smile. We were used to Emmett and Rose arguing. It seemed like it was a form of foreplay for them. Emmett would deliberately say something to provoke Rose's ire and they would spend the rest of the night making up.

"First of all, Chihuahuas are annoying enough without immortality being added to the mix. Secondly, a vampire dog would eat the mailman, which would bring the Volturi to town," Rose spat back at her playful husband.

Alice had been coming down the stairs to greet us when she suddenly stumbled to a stop. Her eyes glazed over in horror at the vision she was seeing. She let out a gasp and then shrieked, "Jasper, no!" before falling to her knees at the bottom of the stairs.

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**Ruh roh!**

**I swear, I won't leave you hanging like this forever. Reviews do make me write faster though...hint, hint ;)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay in updating. I had some internet fail. You should all spank me ;)**

**I don't own Twilight.  
**

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**Jasper was picking Alice up off the floor before the rest of us could recover from our shock at her sudden outburst. He cradled her to his chest and rocked her back and forth on the couch. She was sobbing and clutching his shirt, whispering his name over and over, as if it could protect her from what she'd seen. The strong waves of calm Jasper was sending out pulled the rest of us out of our stupor.

"What did she see?" I quietly asked Edward.

Edward just shook his head and moved to sit next to Alice and Jasper. He took Alice's tiny hand in one of his and stroked her cheek with the other.

"Look at me Alice," Edward commanded gently. "You need to go back and see if you can find the decision that started this. It's the only way we can change it."

"I can't!" Alice sobbed with a shudder.

"Yes, you can," Edward encouraged her. "You have to stop torturing yourself with the vision. I know it's hard, but you're our only hope for changing what you saw."

"What did you see?" Jasper asked Alice gently.

"You were burning," Alice replied quietly. "I can't get it out of my head!"

"No," Esme gasped from the doorway. She and Carlisle had been out hunting, only returning moments before. Carlisle held her close.

"I think Alice's vision may have been provoked when Rosalie said, 'Volturi.' Maybe if you try to focus on what Demetri is doing you'll be able to find the trigger?" I suggested.

We were silent and still as statues while Alice struggled to occupy her mind with something other than her nightmare. Anyone looking in from the outside would surely know we were not wholly human had they happened upon us now. Even Emmett, so naturally exuberant had resigned himself to our tense tableau.

"Aro," Alice gasped. Edward looked shocked.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked.

"Give me a minute to go over it again," Alice requested. She stayed silent a few moments longer. I noticed the rest of us had drifted closer, creating a circle around the couch. We were closing ranks, preparing to defend her from the visions in her mind. Alice finally rested her head against Jasper and motioned for Edward to tell the rest of us what she'd seen.

"Demetri was hunting Aro," Edward stated flatly.

"That doesn't make sense," Carlisle protested. "Why would Demetri be looking for Aro?"

"He wasn't looking for Aro, he was hunting him. He wants to destroy Aro," Alice interjected.

"It still doesn't make any sense," Carlisle insisted. "Why is Demetri trying to destroy Aro? Where are the rest of the Volturi?"

"I don't know," Alice cried out in frustration. "I can't see the Volturi. It's like they've all disappeared. I can't even get a firm vision of Demetri's future. I think they're blocking me somehow."

"How could they be blocking you?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they've found a stronger Shield?" Alice offered.

"But why is Aro on his own?" I asked.

"And where is he?" Rosalie pondered aloud.

"Aro isn't totally alone," Alice replied. "Renata is with him. They're in the mountains somewhere. Tibet maybe? He doesn't seem to have a plan yet. They're just wandering. I'm sorry I can't see anything in Volterra." Alice was very upset at not being able to see more.

"It's not your fault, Alice. We shouldn't expect you to be able to see everything all the time," Esme reassured her.

"But this is Jasper's life!" Alice protested, clearly frustrated beyond reason.

"Someone has to go to Volterra," Emmett stated.

"It should be me," Edward volunteered. "My mind-reading will come in handy if we can't get inside. I should still be able to get a reading."

"What if whatever is blocking Alice can block you too?" I asked. "This could be a trap."

"We won't know unless we try," Edward said bleakly.

"I can't see what's going to happen to you if you go to Volterra. Your future just disappears. I don't know what that means, but it can't be good. I don't think you should go," Alice said.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Emmett protested.

"We won't," Carlisle said decisively. "We're going to go find Aro. We can get the story straight from him."

"That's brilliant," Alice said, relaxing somewhat.

"I should go with you Carlisle. You might need my shield," I offered.

"If you're going, I'm going too," Edward declared.

"Yes, the three of you will find him in Nepal if you leave tomorrow evening. You'll all come home safely," Alice confirmed.

It was decided.

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The rain and clouds seemed to follow us as we travelled west, making for a rough flight, with a landing safe for our kind. We landed in Kathmandu and were able to charter a chopper to the smaller airport in Lukla as Alice had directed us. The helicopter flight showcased the beautiful landscape Nepal had to offer.

Lukla was a smaller town, but had many hotels to choose from. Most of the climbers taking a crack at scaling Everest passed through Lukla on the way to the official Everest Base Camp. Alice had called to tell us that the next day would be too sunny to be seen outside, so we chose a smaller hotel to pass the daylight hours in.

We rented two separate rooms, but we ended up together in Carlisle's room to discuss our approach once we found Aro. Alice hadn't been able to update us on his condition, just that he seemed to be unable to make a firm decision about his direction.

"I know you want to shield us tomorrow, but I think we need to let Aro know our intentions are harmless," Carlisle suggested.

I agreed with a nod of my head. I had been expecting as much from Carlisle. My mind was only half focused on the conversation happening between Edward and Carlisle as I gazed out the window at the slowly brightening sky. It would soon be too late for Edward and I to make it back down the hall to our room. The hallway was lined with large windows on the northeast side to show off the view of the mountains. I wanted to get Edward alone in our room.

I shut my eyes and concentrated on lifting my shield to let Edward in. I projected an image of the two of us kissing, hands wandering over one another's bodies for Edward to see. I heard his breath hitch slightly, but he continued his conversation with Carlisle as though nothing had happened. I removed the clothing from my vision and allowed fantasy Bella to rake her nails down fantasy Edward's chest towards fantasy Edward's erect cock.

I opened my eyes to see how my daydream was affecting Edward. His eyes were scorching as he met my gaze, but he shook his head no. I nearly growled in frustration before deciding to fight dirty. Fantasy Bella kneeled down in front of fantasy Edward and took a long lick of his cock, before swirling her tongue around the tip. Edward growled faintly when fantasy Bella moaned around fantasy Edward's shaft as fantasy Edward thrust himself into her mouth.

Carlisle chose that moment to kick the two of us out of his room, saying he wanted some privacy to call Esme.

Edward grabbed my arm and rushed me down the hall to our room. He pulled me into the room and roughly pushed me against the door, attacking my neck with licks and nibbles.

"You were being very naughty back there, Isabella," he growled against my neck before ripping my shirt from my body.

"I would say I'm sorry, but it just wouldn't be true," I replied, tearing his shirt the way he had just ripped mine.

"I liked that shirt," he said softly, biting down gently on one of my nipples before flicking his tongue over it rapidly.

"I liked my shirt too. But I like what you're doing better," I said saucily. "Let me make it up to you?"

I turned our bodies so that Edward was flush against the door. I raked my fingernails down his chest, just as fantasy Bella had done. He groaned and dropped his head back against the door as I made quick work of removing his pants. I was on my knees in front of him before he could blink. I took his engorged member deep into my mouth and sucked hard. He growled and bucked his hips a little. I winked up at him as I took him deep into my throat and moaned. I loved the way he tasted, sweet, salty and Edward all at the same time.

My world suddenly shifted as Edward twisted and lifted me in a move that I'm pretty sure defied several laws of physics. My mouth was still wrapped around Edward's shaft, but now I was hanging upside-down with my legs wrapped around his head. I moaned again when I felt Edward's tongue circle my clit. I grabbed Edward's firm ass with one hand, and used the other to caress his sac as my tongue and teeth worked his rigid length.

I came intensely when he growled into my pussy, the vibrations of his lips throwing me sharply over the edge with a shout of his name.

Edward set me down on my feet and led me to the nearest piece of furniture. He bent me over the desk and kissed the back of my neck before driving himself deeply into me before I had a chance to recover fully from my first orgasm. My mind, sharpened with vampire senses and capable of processing multiple strands of information at once was unable to focus on anything other than the pleasure at hand. I was consumed by the sounds of our pants, growls and moans. The sound of Edward's skin slapping against mine as he slammed into me faster and harder. The delicious smell of Edward and sex. The feeling of his large hands as he gripped my hips for leverage, and the dexterity in his fingertips as he reached around our bodies to finger my clit.

Stars exploded behind my eyes as I rode out my second climax, bowing myself back and offering my neck in supplication to my lover. Edward chanted my name into my neck as his orgasm overpowered him.

We were silent as we collapsed into a pile of contented limbs onto the bed. Edward nuzzled my neck and I ran my fingers through his hair.

"What was that in honour of, love?" Edward asked, gently kissing my shoulder before entwining his fingers through mine.

"Are you complaining about the sexing I just gave you?" I teased.

"Not at all. Any time you feel the need to ravish me, you'll find me more than willing."

"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow and that scares me a little," I confessed. "Aro may be leading us on a wild goose chase. He knows how Alice's visions work. He might be luring us into a trap or he may actually need our help. I just don't know what to expect, and I hate it.

"You are the one thing in this world that I'm sure of. Your love is what keeps me going. I just needed reassure myself. Plus, you're kind of hot," I winked at him, trying to lighten the mood.

Edward and I spent the rest of the day reassuring one another with our bodies.

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**Please leave me some love. I'm throwing a b-day party for my soon-to-be 9 year-old. There are hordes of children coming to my house after school, so I'll need the love. Do you think RPattz does parties? I'm betting he could make balloon animals with those fuckhot fingers of his...**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so sorry for the delay. This chapter kicked my fucking ass all over the place. I promise better things to come.**

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**Carlisle knocked on our door at dusk.

"Do you have any idea where to start looking?" I asked Carlisle, fastening the laces on my new hiking boots.

"Aro will probably be hiding somewhere too difficult for humans to climb, but close enough to civilization to hunt when he needs to eat. Just because he's on the run doesn't mean he's going to be satisfied with a diet of mountain goat or yak," Carlisle replied.

The mountains loomed large over the town in the growing darkness. They held a sense of dangerous beauty, almost mystical in nature. I wanted to come back and climb to the top one day when we had time. Edward squeezed my hand as we started our run to the foothills.

We spent the next three days and nights searching the mountain range for Aro without success. The ability to scale nearly vertical planes certainly helped us to cover a lot of ground in a short time. The consistent snowstorms didn't bother us, but they did make it more difficult to track by scent. It felt as though we were looking for a needle in a haystack.

It was on the fourth day that we got our first indication that Aro was still in the area. We came across a group of four frozen climbers, all drained of their blood. The dark clouds that had been gathering all morning let loose a fury of snow. The wind tore through the campsite hurling ice pellets and snow against our faces. The storm covered the remains of the climbers in a matter of minutes. We tracked Aro's scent to the north for a mile or so before the scent grew too faint to track under the fresh snow.

The sky cleared up significantly after the freak blizzard of the morning moved to the east. The three of us were standing at the end of Aro's trail, near a sheer vertical cliff. The cliff rose at least half a mile over the snowfield we were in, casting a dark shadow across the snow.

"I think we should climb," I said. "Aro would be searching for higher ground to keep an eye on things."

"That makes sense to me," Carlisle agreed. Edward just nodded his head.

Scaling the cliff turned out to be a challenge, even for us vampires. My eyes could find crevices too small for human eyes to see with which to lift myself up. My muscles didn't tire, and the cold didn't bother me. It was the wind, whipping and whistling around me that made the climb difficult. Every time I let go with one hand to pull myself up, the wind would try to push me over. I liked the challenge.

I was so engrossed in the thrill of the climb that I almost didn't notice when Carlisle and Edward abruptly stopped climbing. Without a word spoken, they silently started their synchronized descent.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, holding my ground on the cliff face.

They didn't answer me, they just kept climbing down. With a frustrated huff, I began my own descent. I was very annoyed with my husband and Carlisle for leaving me out of whatever discussion they had clearly had in Edward's head. I flung myself backwards off the cliff when I was about 30 feet from the ground. I landed heavily, but with grace.

"What happened up there?" I demanded of the guys, who were now reaching the ground.

"I'm not too sure," Edward said. "One minute I was climbing and the next I suddenly decided that I needed to go back."

"Me too," Carlisle said.

A kernel of inspiration hit me. I would need to test my theory.

"Do you guys feel okay to climb now?" I asked. They both indicated they were willing to give it another try.

We started back up the cliff again. This time I told Edward and Carlisle to go ahead of me so I could keep an eye on them. Sure enough, when we reached the same spot, the men tried to climb back down.

"Wait," I called out quietly as Edward climbed down to my side. "Let me try something before we go back down."

Edward and Carlisle paused next to me. I closed my eyes and focused on wrapping them in my shield. Over the years I had become more comfortable with my shield. It still held some elasticity, but I no longer struggled to keep it from snapping back. I could easily shield Edward or Renesmee from nearly a mile away now. Once they were secured in my shield I began to climb again, and they followed without hesitation.

"What just happened?" Edward asked.

"Do you remember when Eleazar wondered if I could get around Renata's shield?" I asked.

"Yes, that's brilliant!" Carlisle cut in. He seemed to know where my thoughts were headed.

"I suspected you guys were getting turned around by Renata. I felt no pull to stop going up, so I figured if I wrapped you guys in my shield you would be able to keep going too. We must be getting close," I explained.

"That is brilliant," Edward agreed.

It took us less than an hour to reach the top of the cliff. Aro and Renata were sitting in the mouth of a cave, waiting for us. Aro was perched regally on a large boulder, a king with no court. Renata was standing behind his right shoulder, her fingers twitching nervously over the back of his black robe.

"Welcome," Aro called to us with a bittersweet smile. "It is unfortunate that we tend to meet under circumstances such as these. I see your Isabella was able to penetrate Renata's shield."

"Yes, we've been looking for you for several days now," Carlisle said in greeting.

"How delightful for me, to have such a dedicated friend. Tell me Carlisle, what brings you here to see me?" Aro asked.

"Alice had a disturbing vision," Carlisle replied. "It seems that Demetri is hunting you. What happened to you?" Carlisle asked.

"Jane," Aro spat in answer, as though her name was bitter on his tongue. Edward gasped and immediately placed himself next to me protectively.

"How did it happen?" Edward demanded.

"How did what happen?" I asked. Carlisle looked just as confused as I felt.

"Jane has taken over Volterra," Edward said in a low, dangerous voice.

"Alec and Demetri stand with her," Aro added.

"Where are Marcus and Caius?" Carlisle asked hesitantly. There was a note of reluctance in his voice, almost as though he knew the answer to his question already.

"Gone. Athenodora and Sulpicia are gone as well," Aro replied. His pose at once deflated from the proud vampire I'd always seen him as. He looked empty, drained of his past arrogance and pride. I almost felt sorry for my once enemy.

"I don't understand," I puzzled aloud. "How did Jane get past your defences?"

"Jane used Demetri to find a human with a gift such as yours to turn. Her gift is far more subtle than yours Isabella. She can protect the pieces of your thoughts you wish to conceal. She leaves everything else open to the talents such as those myself or your husband possess. Jane was able to plan the whole rebellion without my gift interfering. All is lost and I couldn't prevent it," Aro stopped then, lost in his own thoughts.

Edward continued the story quietly.

"Jane and Alec courted the Romanian brothers to aid in their coup. They were able to turn some of the guard into a rebel army without raising any suspicions. Aro returned from a hunt to find the bodies of his closest friends and allies burning on the castle steps."

I shuddered at the thought of returning from a hunt to find my family destroyed.

"Jane was tearing the Romanians to pieces," Edward continued. "Aro only managed to escape with Renata's help. If it wasn't for her shield he would most likely be dead too."

"That would be a mercy for me now," Aro grieved.

"What does Jane want?" Carlisle wondered.

"I don't know," Edward answered. "But I know she doesn't like us very much. She could come after us."

"The new Shield might explain why Alice couldn't see Volterra. It would have to be a very powerful shield to block out Alice," Carlisle offered.

"Alice saw Jasper burning around the same time Jane took over in Volterra. That can't be a coincidence," Edward replied.

"We need to get home," I said, instinctively craving Renesmee in my arms. I wanted to protect my baby. I could tell that Edward felt the same tug.

"We need to warn our friends," Carlisle insisted. "Jane will no doubt go after anyone who has stood with us in the past."

"Why bother?" I asked. "Why not just come after us?"

"Because you pose the largest threat to her new reign," Aro spat. "You are the largest coven outside of Volterra's walls. You are aligned with several other powerful covens. With your allies you are in a position to take over Volterra if you so choose. Jane is vicious and power hungry. She won't rest until she feels she is secure in her position. She will take out the other covens and then when you are all alone, she will come after you as well."

"How do you know?" I questioned. "You seem so sure of yourself."

"I know because that's what I might have done myself if I'd found a Shield such as the one Jane and Alec now possess."

A growl rumbled deep in my chest, sending vibrations through my silent heart. A surge of anger at Aro's admission flung me into action before I could fully process what I was doing. My teeth were at Aro's throat by the time my brain caught up with my body. I allowed Edward and Carlisle to pull me away from Aro's supine form.

"I like your temper," Aro chuckled darkly from the ground. "It makes you strong."

"I would argue that the love we bear one another feeds our tempers. Thus it's love rather than anger that strengthens us," Carlisle argued with a patient smile. I sensed this was an argument the two old friends had rehashed many times over the years.

"We don't have time to argue about this," I said impatiently. I needed to jump into action if I was going to maintain my sanity.

"Bella is right," Edward supported me. "We need to gather our friends before Jane takes action."

"Will you come with us?" Carlisle asked Aro.

Aro agreed to meet us back home after he'd found an old friend to help us. Carlisle was going to head west, making stops in Egypt, England and Ireland before heading home.

Edward and I were going back to South America.

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**So, is Aro an innocent victim or is he behind it all?**

**Up next: some fun in the sun.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello all. I still don't own Twilight. I do however own a broken down car. And a shiny new bus pass. Yay me :(**

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**Isle Esme was still stunningly gorgeous.

Edward and I had travelled through darkness, hiding in the daylight hours from Nepal to Brazil. We were going to find and warn our South American friends about the coming threat. We arrived in Rio de Janeiro, travel weary with barely an hour to spare before the sunrise. We hurried through the terminal, not stopping to claim our luggage. There were no clouds in the predawn sky as we left the airport. The deeper indigos of night were giving way to the subtle lavenders and pinks of morning as we reached the marina.

Edward and I were silent as we made our way by boat to Isle Esme. I studied the ripples made in the water by the wake of our boat. I was fascinated with the sinuous ebb and flow of the water as it danced around our craft. I reflected back to our first trip to the island. Our honeymoon had been the catalyst for what was happening now. Our love, our marriage, our daughter; these events all rippled outward, pushing us to our destinies. The concentricity of our present circumstances was not lost on me. All of these problems came back to me.

I was pulled out of my musings when Edward tilted my chin and ran his thumb across my bottom lip.

"We're here love," he said gently, offering me a hand out of the boat.

"I'm going to take a shower and freshen up," I declared, heading towards the house.

"Okay love. I'm going to go for a bit of a swim," Edward offered.

The shower was quick and heavenly. As I towelled myself off I smiled at the synchronicity of the act. I wrapped myself in the fluffy towel just as I had many years before and approached the beach. Edward's clothing was predictably hanging from a tree near the house. I left my towel in the tree to keep his clothes company and continued on towards the water.

Edward was standing waist deep in the water, facing away from the shore. This time his skin was not glowing pale in the moonlight. He was glittering in the early morning sun, his skin casting rainbows on the gentle waves. I approached him slowly and took his hand.

"It's beautiful," I said, gazing up at the orange glow of the fading dawn.

"It's alright," Edward smirked down at me, pulling my body flush against his own. "Nothing is as beautiful as you are love."

Our kisses were passionate and hungry. Edward pulled us into deeper water and we sank below the surface, wrapped deliciously around one another. My mouth was filled with the taste of Edward and ocean. I traced my fingers over the contours of his muscles, warmed by the temperature of the ocean. His teeth nipped at the underside of my breasts before he darted his tongue out to taste my nipple.

I felt sand scraping under my back and realized the tide had pushed us to the shore. Edward threw me over his shoulder and ran us into the house, gently setting me on the bed and covering my body with his own. He used the tip of his cock to tease my clit before gently easing into my body. We breathed each other's names , a thankful prayer at our joining.

I was overwhelmed as always at the sensations of making love to my husband. I could taste his delicious scent in the air and hear his unsteady breath gasping and moaning in my ear. I could feel his muscles clenching under my hands with each thrust he made. I could feel the way his cock seemed to swell in response to the delicate fluttering of my inner muscles as we neared our climax.

A white hot flash of sensation pulsed through my body as I came, emptying my head of all thought and relaxing all of my muscles. I gazed up at Edward and revelled in the noises he made as he came and in the smooth white flesh of his neck as he arched back in pleasure.

We lay silently, still joined intimately for a long time afterwards.

"I will never get tired of this," Edward promised me.

"You'd better not!" I exclaimed, punching his shoulder lightly with a small giggle. My giggle caused Edward to harden inside me and we gave in to our passions once more.

Edward and I finally emerged from the bed near sunset to shower before meeting up with the Amazons. Edward and I headed out in the boat once night had fallen. We docked in a remote area along the coast and ran the rest of the way through the lush rainforest. It was my first trip through the rainforest as a vampire. I could actually smell the humidity in the air and see prisms of many-hued green rainbows reflecting off of the foliage. I could smell the delicious scents of several predators in the area I'd never encountered before.

My eyes flickered to the canopy above when I heard the subtle creaking of a couple of predators stalking us through the trees. Edward's eyes glittered as he caught my gaze.

"Jaguar," he mouthed to me, pointing above our heads.

I closed my eyes in anticipation and took a deep, quiet breath. I'd never hunted jaguar before and the challenge excited me. I heard the heartbeats above us increase as our prey anticipated their attack. I heard the whisper of air over fur as they pounced and I allowed myself to be pinned to the ground by one of the beautiful cats. Its whiskers tickled my cheek as it tried to get a grip on my neck with its fangs.

"Hello kitty," I crooned, grabbing it by the back of the neck. I sunk my teeth into its supple flesh and moaned with the satisfaction of the hot blood that coated my tongue and ran down my throat. I could taste the power and strength of the beast and it satisfied me like no other prey ever had. Jaguar was my new favourite animal.

Edward's rich toffee eyes met mine over the carrion we were going to leave behind. I saw the heat coursing through me reflected back in his expression. He had me pinned against a tree before I could blink. His mouth worked savagely over my own, teeth scraping lips, tongues duelling for dominance. We were so caught up in our lust we didn't notice their approach.

"We spend hundreds of dollars a year on satellite for the television, and it turns out all we really needed to do was go for a walk. Hundreds wasted on pay-per-view movies!" a gravelly voice exclaimed.

Edward and I quickly broke apart, facing the intruders. Senna, Zafrina and Kachiri stood as a trio, smiling at us.

"Yes, but without the satellite we would miss True Blood," Kachiri said. Senna rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Edward and I straightened our clothing and greeted our friends warmly. We followed them back to their home to talk. Somewhere along the way a flower caught Edward's eye and he tucked it behind my ear with a small kiss.

The Amazons had a small home built in the middle of the rainforest. From the outside it blended in with the surroundings, very rustic in appearance. The inside was cool and dry, decorated with a very modern theme. There was a large screen television in the main room along with several bright orange and fuchsia couches. The walls were covered in bookshelves displaying the clan's love of literature, music and art. The reading nook looked warm and inviting with a grouping of three leather Poang chairs. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of these three women blending in at Ikea.

"Friends, what brings you here?" Zafrina asked once we were settled in.

"Jane," Edward stated. "She's killed Marcus, Caius and the wives. The Romanians are gone too. Aro only narrowly managed to escape with Renata. Now he believes she will come after us, one coven at a time. We need to gather together to stay safe."

"We will stand with you and fight to the death," Kachiri promised solemnly.

"I'm hoping it doesn't have to come to that," Edward said. "But from what I saw in Aro's mind there's really no avoiding it."

"Do you know where to find Huilen and Nahuel?" I asked.

"Yes, we can lead you to them," Kachiri offered. "They must be warned as well."

It was a long distance that we ran that night. We went over mountains and cut through streams at blinding speeds. Kachiri stopped short and let out a gasp. I nearly collided with her as I took in the horror before me. A blazing pyre erupted deep purple flames into the dark night. We were too late. We quickly searched the area and determined that Demetri, Felix and Alec had come and gone.

We stood still as statues for hours in our shock. We were stirred from our postures by the screech of an animal nearby. We were a silent group as we turned and ran back to the home of the Amazons.

Edward paced outside keeping watch while we prepared for our departure. Senna silently brought packed bags down to the front door as I booked our flight online. Kachiri and Zafrina emerged from their shared bedroom holding hands and cuddled up on the couch with Senna.

We were still silent when we boarded the plane.


End file.
